Exchange program seeks Valley host families

Program of Academic Exchange is seeking families to host high-school exchange students from European, South American, Asian and African countries during the upcoming school year.

PAX students are 15 to 18 years old, have studied English for at least three years, and are motivated to learn more about the U.S. by attending high school and living with a host family. The students arrive in the U.S. in August.

PAX students want to experience American activities such as backyard barbecues, birthday celebrations and holidays with their host families. They are covered by comprehensive medical insurance and have their own spending money for incidentals.

Volunteer host families provide PAX students with a bed, a quiet place to study, a seat at the dining table, a warm and supportive home environment and encouragement to engage in everyday American life.

Single parents, young couples, retirees and parents with teenagers are welcome to host.

Founded in 1990, PAX is a nonprofit educational organization and is a U.S. Department of State-designated Exchange Visitor Program chosen to participate in the U.S. government-sponsored FLEX, YES, and A-SMYLE programs. Each year, more than 1,100 teenagers visit the U.S. as PAX exchange students.

For more information, call Darryl Anderson at 330-256-6127 or visit www.pax.org.